Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1464279
WORKSTATIONS www.postmagazine.com 26 POST MAR/APR 2022 starting at $1,249 and $1,149 respectively. Lenovo recently introduced the latest additions to its ThinkPad and ThinkVision product port- folios. The latest ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 5 ($3,054) can be powered by the latest Intel vPro with 12th Gen Intel Core i9 H-series processors. The unit runs Windows 11 Pro and is available with the latest Nvidia GeForce RTX laptop GPUs, up to 64GB DDR5 memory and optional dual solid-state drives (SSD) supporting up to 8TBs. The ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 5 now includes Dolby Voice with AI noise cancellation and an optional WQXGA 165Hz refresh rate display with low blue light. Lenovo also introduced several updates to its ThinkPad T series portfolio (starting at $1,554) to address the productivity and collaboration needs of a widely-diversified orkforce. The units move to 16:10 aspect ratio displays with low blue-light technology, with FHD camera options combined with a Dolby Audio speaker system and Dolby Voice. Connectivity is also more stable thanks to Wi-Fi 6E2 and enhanced WWAN3 choices. Lenovo's ThinkPad P14s Gen 3 ($1,699) and P16s Gen 1 ($1,720) are the com- pany's most mobile workstations, offering a mix of power and performance for professional users-on-the-go. Built with the latest Intel Core processors and Nvidia T550 professional graphics, both workstations are ISV-certified and ell suited to power applications such as AutoCAD, Revit and SolidWorks. These mobile machines also ensure reliability and durability with the ThinkShield security suite and Mil-Spec testing that highly-mobile users need. Both models also offer improved usability features, including a wider touchpad, all-day battery capacity, an upgraded FHD webcam, blue-light reduction and X-Rite factory color calibration for a high level of color accuracy. The ThinkPad P16s Gen 1 is new to Lenovo's mobile workstation portfolio and features a thin and light 16-inch chassis. This new form factor has a 16:10 aspect ratio display that delivers increased screen space for viewing and creating with extreme clarity. Both workstations are available in a choice of black or alumi- num storm grey. In related news, Lenovo's all new ThinkVision M14d mobile USB-C monitor ($399) helps users extend screen space through a single cable connection. Weighing less than 1.3 pounds, the M14d offers a narrow bezel 14-inch 16:10 aspect-ratio display with high resolution (2,240x1,400) that supports a 100 percent sRGB wide color gamut. NVIDIA Nvidia recently expanded its RTX offerings with seven new Ampere architec- ture GPUs for laptops and desktops. The new RTX A500, RTX A1000, RTX A2000 8GB, RTX A3000 12GB, RTX A4500 and RTX A5500 laptop GPUs expand access to AI and ray-tracing technology, delivering breakthrough per- formance no matter where the user is located. The new Nvidia RTX A5500 desktop GPU combines the latest-generation RT cores, Tensor cores and CUDA cores with 24GB of memory for high levels of rendering, AI, graphics and compute performance. Its ray-traced rendering is 2x faster than the previous generation and its motion blur rendering perfor- mance is up to 9x faster. These GPUs are part of Nvidia's RTX platform, which includes Nvidia GPU- accelerated software development kits, toolkits, frameworks and enterprise management tools. The GPUs also take advantage of the accelerations of the Nvidia Studio platform, including optimizations to leverage RTX hardware in 75 leading creative apps, exclusive tools like Nvidia Broadcast and Canvas, and the advanced realtime 3D design and collaboration platform, Nvidia Omniverse. RTX laptop GPUs include second generation RT cores, third generation Tensor cores and Nvidia's Ampere architecture streaming multiprocessor, which provide up to 2x the throughput of the previous-generation architecture. Nvidia's Max-Q technology helps optimize systems to make thin and light laptops perform quieter, faster and more efficient . The RTX A2000 8GB, RTX A3000 12GB and RTX A4500 now feature 2x the memory of their previous-generation counterparts for working with larger models, datasets and multi-app work- fl ws. Thanks to a rich suite of Nvidia software, users can tap into several benefits, anging from tetherless VR to collaborative 3D design with a wide variety of software tools. The RTX A5500 features second generation RT cores offering up to 2x the throughput of the fir t generation, with the ability to run concurrent ray trac- ing, shading and denoising tasks. Third-generation Tensor cores provide up to 12x the training throughput over the previous generation, with support for new TF32 and Bflo t16 data formats. And CUDA cores offer up to 3x the single-pre- cision flo ting point throughput over the previous generation. The RTX A5500 features 24GB of GDDR6 memory with ECC (error correc- tion code), and is expandable up to 48GB of memory using Nvidia NVLink to connect two GPUs. The RTX A5500 supports Nvidia RTX Virtual Workstation software for multiple high-performance virtual workstation instances that en- able remote users to share resources to drive high-end design, AI and compute workloads. In addition, PCIe Gen 4 doubles the bandwidth of the previous generation and speeds up data transfers for data-intensive tasks, such as AI, data science and creating 3D models. The RTX A5500 desktop GPUs are now available. The new RTX laptop GPUs will be available in mobile workstations from global OEM partners that include Acer, ASUS, Boxx Technologies, Dell Technologies, HP, Lenovo and MSI this spring. XENOWULF Located in Burbank, CA, Xenowulf (www.xenowulf.com) was started in 2017 by Elvis Sahakian as an R&D company exploring new and revolutionary computer hardware designs. Today Xenowulf offers custom-built, liquid-cooled, multi- CPU/multi-GPU workstations that are powerful enough to take on the most intense rendering, content creation, AI and deep-learning workloads. The company takes pride in its system design and precision engineering, with attention to detail and craftsmanship evident in each system. Every com- ponent — many of which are custom-made — are thoroughly vetted based on hundreds of hours of testing at their Burbank Lab. Xenowulf's proprietary CPU and GPU cooling systems offer high levels of thermal performance and incorporate features such as automotive-grade reinforced tubing, special quick-disconnect couplings, custom solid aluminum cooling liquid reservoirs, custom aluminum GPU cooling blocks and custom PFC modules, which monitor fans, pumps, thermostats, fl w meter and GPU temperatures. The components don't just cool or remove heat, but also opti- mize system performance and increase longevity. This also eliminates thermal throttling and effectively reduces thermal fatigue on system components, thus delivering stable, consistent, reliable computing power and performance. All workstations are available in solid aluminum tower or rackmount enclosures. Xenowulf's Studio Series is designed to meet the critical demands of digital content creators. They include single- or dual-socket processors and up-to seven Nvidia GPUs while offering whisper quiet operation, virtually eliminat- ing noise pollution from the creative environment.